Things I Want My Daughters to Know: A Novel [Paperback]

Elizabeth Noble (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 20, 2009

How do you cope in a world without your mother?

When Barbara realizes time is running out, she writes letters to her four daughters, aware that they'll be facing the trials and triumphs of life without her at their side. But how can she leave them when they still have so much growing up to do?

Take Lisa, in her midthirties but incapable of making a commitment; or Jennifer, trapped in a stale marriage and buttoned up so tight she could burst. Twentysomething Amanda, the traveler, has always distanced herself from the rest of the family; and then there's Hannah, a teenage girl on the verge of womanhood about to be parted from the mother she adores.

But by drawing on the wisdom in Barbara's letters, the girls might just find a way to cope with their loss. And in coming to terms with their bereavement, can they also set themselves free to enjoy their lives with all the passion and love each deserves?

This heartfelt novel by bestselling author Elizabeth Noble celebrates family, friends . . . and the glorious, endless possibilities of life.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Elizabeth Noble is the author of the internationally bestselling novels The Reading Group, The Friendship Test, and Alphabet Weekends. She lives with her husband and their two daughters in New York City.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; 1 Reprint edition (January 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006168659X
• ISBN-13: 978-0061686597
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,246,744 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching, May 28, 2009

By 

Megan L. Bruemmer "summer_reader" (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Things I Want My Daughters to Know: A Novel (Paperback)

I loved this book. I cried frequently, but in a good, thought-provoking way. I was glad I was on a plane flying home to see my mom when I first started reading the book. She had just lost her mom a couple days before. I think I cried thinking of her pain and cried because I was so grateful than my mom is still with me. She says that she wants to read this book as well, once she has healed a little more.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Things I want other readers to know..., May 14, 2009

By 

Book Girl (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Things I Want My Daughters to Know: A Novel (Paperback)

THINGS I WANT MY DAUGHTER TO KNOW, by Elizabeth Noble, is a book to which many women can relate, in one way or another. Telling the story of what happens to four daughters after the death of their mother, Noble uses letters written by the mother before her death and the points of view of each of the four daughters to tell a story about love and healing. As one of three daughters, I found many of the sentiments in the book relatable and common (especially since I read it right around Mother's Day).

If you're looking for a quick read that will make you want to call your mom immediately, this book is it. Several scenes are powerful, including one in which the mother reflects on the four days she gave birth to them. The letters written from Barbara, the mother, are often reflective and more honest than she had been with her daughters previously.

I took issue with this: Though the book is emotional, it feel extremely plot-driven, and much of the interior monologue feels contrived. Every character, in the span of a year after Barbara's death, goes through some extreme incident. In the pages of the book, you're given death of a central character (to start off with), a marriage proposal, a car accident, an affair, a horrible marriage turned good again, a surprise about the true paternity of one of the daughters, a drunken argument that stops communication for a few months, a pregnancy, and a new boyfriend for one of the daughters who just happens to fit in perfectly and fall in love with her immediately. And somehow, after everything, the entire book wraps up perfectly in the end, with everyone feeling somehow resolved about what has happened since the death of Barbara.

I'm not doubting that it could happen, especially since this is not one daughter's life, but four; however, it all felt like too much, when the more subtle parts of the novel were much more real. Additionally, much of the mother's writing to her daughters is so perfect that it feels like Noble (a published author) is writing it, instead of being from Barbara's voice, flaws and all.

Regardless of faults, THINGS I WANT MY DAUGHTERS TO KNOW will probably make you feel good. It's not out to win any literary awards, but it does relate in many ways.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Expected More., June 1, 2009

By 

Diane "dianemax" (Newfoundland, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Things I Want My Daughters to Know: A Novel (Paperback)

Barbara is the mother in this book to four daughters. There is Lisa, the oldest, who is afraid of commitment and sabotages most relationships that she is in. There is Jennifer who is fighting to keep her marriage alive, Amanda who is the wanderlust of the family and the youngest, Hannah, who is the teenager and is struggling to find her place in the family and in the world.

We only learn about Barbara and her relationships with her girls through letters that she writes to each one of them before she passes away.

I expected more from this book; more of a story between the mom and her daughters. I was let down with this one. It was just an okay book for me.